Furnace arrangement



Dec. 27, 1960. H. HOFMEISTER FURNACE ARRANGEMENT Filed June 4. 1957 United, States Patent 0.

FURNACE ARRANGEMENT Hans Hofmeister, Brockholfstrasse 13, Duisburg, Germany Filed June 4, 1957, Ser. No. 663,438

Claims priority, application Germany June 5, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 263-33) The present invention relates to furnace arrangements.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a furnace arrangement incorporating tiltable rotary furnaces used for smelting, reduction or refining purposes.

There exist furnace arrangements in which a furnace is capable of being moved between a horizontal position wherein the furnace can be rotated about its longitudinal axis and its contents be treated and a vertical position wherein the furnace can be charged, discharged, cleaned or repaired. In practice, the making ready of a furnace for a new cycle of operation is extremely time consuming, and may be of the order of seven to eight days. Consequently, a considerable amount of time is lost, and the equipment by means of which the furnace is capable of being maintained horizontally and by means of which its contents is treated is idle during this time.

His therefore an object of the present invention to provide a furnace arrangement which overcomes the above disadvantage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a furnace arrangement by means of which the efficiency of a smelting, reduction or refining installation or the like is increased.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly resides in a furnace arrangement which comprises a first carrier capable of supporting a furnace and being movable between an operating position wherein the furnace is substantially horizontal and a transferring position wherein the furnace is substantially vertical, and a second carrier capable of supporting a furnace while the same is in a substantially vertical position. According to the present invention the carriers are movable relative to each other to and from a position wherein a furnace supported substantially vertically by the first carrier while the latter is in its transferring position may be transferred to the second carrier and wherein a furnace supported substantially vertically by the second carrier may be transferred to the first carrier while the latter is in its transferring position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a furnace arrangement according to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagramamtic plan view of another embodiment of an arrangement according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and to Fig. 1 thereof in particular, there is shown a furnace arrangement which incorporates a support 1 or first support means having an elongated horizontal upper support surface composed of a central portion 2 and two end portions 3 and 4.

. 2,966,348 Patented Dec. 27, 1960 A rocker 5 which is capable of supporting a rotary furnace 6 by means of bearings 7 is rockably arranged on the sup port surface 2, 3, 4. This rocker is oscillatable between an operating position, shown in solid lines, wherein it is on the central portion 2 and wherein the furnace 5 is substantially horizontal, and another position in which the rocker is on one of the end portions of the support surface and wherein the furnace is substantially vertical. The drawing shows, in chain lines, the rocker 5 in that position wherein it is on the end portion 4.

A trolley or other suitable vehicle or second support means 8 capable of supporting a furnace in vertical position on the transversely extending end 15 thereof, which trolley may run on rails or guide means 16, is movable relative to the support and rocker to and from a position, shown in solid lines, wherein this vehicle is immediately adjacent the end portion 4. The support 1 is so shaped as to form a receiving portion into which the trolley 8 may project, and the arrangement of the parts is such that when the rocker is rocked into the position shown in chain lines, the furnace may be transferred from the rocker 5 to the trolley 8, and vice versa. Thus, after a furnace has been transferred from the rocker 5 to the trolley, the latter may be moved horizontally, together with the furnace, into the position shown in chain lines. While in this position, the furnace may be recharged, cleaned and prepared for another cycle of operation. In order to facilitate this operation, the trolley is preferably so constructed and arranged that access may be had to an opening in the bottom of the furnace.

After the furnace has been transferred to the trolley 8, the rocker is rocked past the central portion 2 until it is on the opposite end portion 3, and after the trolley 8a has been moved adjacent this end portion, a previously made ready furnace 6a supported by the trolley 8a may be transferred from it to the rocker 5, which may then be rocked back to the position shown in solid lines and thus support the furnace 6a in such a manner that the same may be rotated about a substantially horizontal turning axis, suitable means (not shown) being provided for this purpose.

In Fig. 1, the furnace 6a, illustrated in section, is shown together with a lifting platform 9 by means of which the furnace may be made ready for operation.

It will be seen from the above that the support 1 and the rocker 5 together constitute a carrier which is capable of supporting a rotary furnace and which is movable between an operating position wherein the furnace is substantially horizontal and is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, and a transferring position wherein the furnace may be transferred to or from one or more second carriers capable of supporting the funace in a substantially vertical position, these second carriers being constituted, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, by the trolleys 8 and 8a. Thus, while one furnace is in use, another furnace is being made ready for operation, so that the equipment capable of rotatably supporting the furnaces, as, for example, during a refining operation wherein air or oxygen is introduced into the interior of the furnace by means of one or more blower conduits B need at no time remain idle.

The rocking of the rocker 5 may be accomplished by any suitable hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical or electrical means, or, if desired, suitable hoists may be provided for this purpose.

Fig. 2 shows an arrangement wherein two support and rocker units, i.e., two first carriers 10, 11, are provided. Each of these carriers is similar in construction to the corresponding carrier shown in Fig. 1, except that it is additionally pivotable about a substantially vertical pivot axis indicated in Fig. 1 at a. A common second carrier 12 is arranged between the carriers 10 and 11, which set:

ond carrier is in the form of a turntable which is pivotable about a central pivot axis 13 and which is formed with two receiving portions 14, 14a at each of which a furnace may be supported vertically. In such an arrangement a total of three furnaces may be provided, so that at any one time two of the furnaces will be in operation either upon the carrier or the carrier, while the third furnace is being made ready for operation. Thus, a ready furnace is alternately supplied to the carriers 10 and 11, so that operation of both carriers 10 and 11 is substantially continuous, thereby permitting high efiiciency operation of the installation.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of furnace arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a furnace arrangement incorporates rotary furnaces, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current know-ledge readily adapt it for vari ous applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A furnace arrangement comprising, in combination, first support means; a rocker rockable on said first support means through an angle of at least 90; an elongated rotary furnace removably carried by said rocker in a horizontal position when said rocker is in an operating position thereof, said furnace having a rotary axis and one end extending substantially transversely of said axis, and said rocker being turnable on said first support means to a transfer position where said furnace extends vertically and positions said one end in a downwardly directed attitude, and said first support means being formed with free space located beneath said one end of said furnace when the latter extends vertically; means carried by said rocker and supporting said furnace for rotation about said rotary axis; second support means located in said free space beneath said one end of said furnace when the latter is in said vertical position and adapted to engage said end to support said furnace independently of said rocker when the latter is in its trans-fer position; and guide means cooperating with one of said support means for guiding the same for movement away from the other support means, when said rocker is in said transfer position thereof, to separate said rocker and furnace from each other so that a second furnace may then be placed on said rocker.

2. A furnace arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which said guide means cooperate with said second support means for guiding the same away from said first support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 240,714 Holley Apr. 26, 1881 253,046 Henderson Jan. 31, 1882 253,049 Holley Jan. 31, 1882 2,696,663 Wright Dec. 14, 1954 2,767,971 Hofmeister et al Oct. 23, 1956' FOREIGN PATENTS 496,3-44 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1938 

